The International Center for Clinical Excellence: Using Social Networks for "Real Time" Research

The International Center for Clinical Excellence was officially lauched at the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference in December 2009. Since that time, membership has grown steadily. With over 3800 members, the ICCE is the largest, web-based community of behavioral health professionals dedicated to improving the quality and outcome of service delivery. The site features nearly a hundred discussion forums, taking place in a number of languages, on topics specific to treatment and research.

And now, the site is being used for a new purpose: research. ICCE member and associate Wendy Amey was the first. She used the site successfully for her dissertation, surveying members about how they work with trauma. I am pleased to announce two new research projects that will access the ICCE community.

The first is being conducted by McGill University counseling psychology doctoral candidate Ionita Gabriela. Her study focuses on clinicians’ experiences with using measures to monitor client progress in the services they offer. Implementation is the challenge most clinician and agencies face when incorporating routine outcome monitoring into practice. All participants will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Amazon gift certificate. More importantly, participants will contribute to the expanding knowledge base on feedback informed treatment. Whether or not you are a member of ICCE, you can contribute by taking part in the study. Click here to send an email to Ionita to complete the interview (it only takes about 15 minutes).

The second study is being conducted by me and ICCE Associate Daryl Chow as part of ICCE’s continuing emphasis on clinical excellence. The study builds on groundbreaking research by Ronnestad and Orlinksy on the subject of therapist development. Particpants are asked to complete a brief (8-12 minutes), online survey with questions pertaining to your development as a clinician. All participants will be entered into a drawing, the winner receiving all 6 of the newly released FIT Treatment and Training Manuals (valued at $100). Again, you can participant whether or not you are currently a member of the ICCE. In fact, please ask your colleagues to participate as well! Click here to complete the secure, online survey (no identifying information will be sought).